Check
by Over the Sky
Summary: Ressius and Sophia have a game of chess. “You’d sacrifice your own queen to protect you king?” l “You can’t protect him from death... especially if he wants to die.” One-shot l One sided AlexSophia.


Ressius and Sophia have a game of chess. "You'd sacrifice your own queen to protect you king?" l "You can't protect him from death... especially if he wants to die." One-shot l One sided Alex/Sophia.

She watched as the elderly man moved his pawn forward two spaces, and then looked up at the young empress expectantly. Sophia glanced down at his side of the board and paused a moment before moving also moving her pawn forward two squares.

The room was silent save for the engine's hum, and the occasional odd clanking sound. She decided to break the silence, "I see you've taken a liking to the Guilders." She said quietly, as he moved his other pawn over.

The old guilder's mouth twitched, almost in a ghost of smile. "They are interesting." Was all he said, she would not argue or prompt any further words out of him, but instead moved her pawn forward.

He glanced up at her questionably but then moved his bishop diagonally taking her bishop which was left unprotected now that the pawns had left their beginning spot. The woman looked down at where her bishop had been, and moved her rook to take his bishop; she then proceeded to move the piece over to her side of the table.

"During my coronation," She started quietly, looking up at the old man. "Had the captain..." She trailed off, "Had he planned to attack the Maestro - even if both Vincent and I were down there?"

Ressius didn't skip a beat or even attempt to soften the blow. "Yes." He moved his knight forward. It was silence again.

"I see." She murmured softly; moving her pawn forward. The old man moved his knight forward again taking one of her pawns, she stared where it had been for a moment before sighing and moving her bishop forward taking one of his knights that was left in open position with no hope of defence.

"Rash." The man said quietly, moving his pawn over two spaces from where his queen resided. "Just like the captain."

"When he ordered the attack on her?" She asked, she knew her captain. If he wanted something done, by God it would be done. "What stopped him?"

"Campbell, he ordered everyone to ignore the orders." The man said, she smiled almost bitterly, she knew he wouldn't have stopped the order for her sake, it was probably only because of Campbell she was still alive. The next 10 minutes past with silence and the barely audible sound of chess pieces being placed on the board.

She moved her rook forward from the space that had been cleared when she had moved her pawns out in previous turns, taking out his rook that was getting close to her knight. Ressius moved his bishop forward claiming her pawn and setting aside with the collection of her pieces that had been taken.

He moved his pawns away from the 'royal area' where the queen and king resided and after she moved her pawn to the edge of his board. Surprisingly, he hadn't noticed, either that or he had let her get away with that on purpose.

"Promotion." She said quietly, exchanging her pawn for her lost rook.

Ressius moved his pawns She moved her knight forward again taking his pawn that was dangerously close to her bishop. "The captain can be reckless when he sets his mind to something." She said smiling almost fondly.

"Yes." The engineer agreed, "Even in chess." He looked up while moving his queen forward. "Check mate."

The first officer was taken by surprise to see his queen in front of her king. "You haven't been paying enough attention." He said.

She said nothing, but moved her queen in front of her king. The old man raised an eyebrow. "You'd sacrifice your own queen to protect you king?"

"Yes." She said, her voice firm.

There was silence. He knew the meaning behind the move. "Even if the King has no interest in the well being of his queen?"

"Yes."

The old man paused before moving his queen, ""You can't protect him from death." He moved forward taking her queen. "Especially if he wants to die." She looked away, moving was useless, but she wouldn't surrender. "Check mate." She moved her rook over to his bishop taking it out uselessly.

He moved his queen forward taking her king, ending the game endlessly. She looked at the Queen alone in the crowd of the other pieces, never to be with the King. "Thank you for the game, Ressius." She said, standing, and bowing before leaving.

"Let him go." The old man said, as she walked through the door into the dark hallway.

She leaned on the door. "I can't." The empress whispered bitterly. "I love him."

o o o

I think Ressius was OOC, and most likely so was Sophia, and I was realise the whole chess game was rushed AND that most of the moves aren't accurate... basically this story is crap.


End file.
